Danny Federico
The Jasper Police Department has announced it will be joining a nationwide effort to crack down on impaired driving ahead of the Labor Day holiday weekend.
From Wednesday, Aug. 19, through Monday, Sept. 7, the department will work alongside the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as part of the “Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over” campaign. The initiative is aimed at detecting drunk drivers and preventing alcohol-related crashes and deaths.
“We want our community members to understand that it’s our first priority to keep people safe, so we’re asking everyone to plan ahead if they know they’ll be out drinking,” Chief Scott Pepin said. “The Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign is an awareness effort to get the message out that drunk driving is illegal and it kills. Let’s make this a partnership between the Jasper Police Department and drivers: Help us protect the community and put an end to this dangerous behavior.”
According to NHTSA statistics provided by the Jasper Police Department, 505 people were killed in traffic crashes nationwide during the 2024 Labor Day holiday period. Of those deaths, 170 (or 34%) involved a drunk driver.
Additionally, 77% of impaired drivers who were killed during that period had a blood alcohol concentration of .15 or higher, nearly twice the legal limit of .08.
Younger drivers were also heavily represented in alcohol-related fatalities. Of drivers between the ages of 18 and 34 who were killed in crashes during the 2024 Labor Day holiday, 40% were drunk with a blood alcohol content of .08 or higher.
The issue has also hit close to home. During the same 2024 Labor Day holiday period, Jasper police made two impaired-driving arrests, one of which resulted from a traffic crash involving serious bodily injuries.
In its press release, the police department encouraged residents who plan to drink during Labor Day festivities to arrange transportation before consuming alcohol, whether through a designated driver or rideshare service.
The department also urged friends and family members to intervene if someone who has been drinking attempts to drive. If an individual can't drive safely, they should give their keys to a sober driver who can get them home.
“Impairment clouds a person’s judgment and endangers others on the road,” the department stated in its press release.
Anyone who spots a suspected drunk driver is encouraged to contact Hamilton County Dispatch at 386-792-1001 or dial 911.
Additional information about impaired driving is available at NHTSA.gov/DrunkDriving.
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